PARIS In a monastery garden, with its serene cloisters and Alice-in-Wonderland rose bushes, Karl Lagerfeld sent out one of the most beautifully orchestrated collections he has shown in 20 years at Chanel.
Its intricate inlays of fur dotted like snowflakes on black and white tweed, its spiderwebs of lace and its exquisite workmanship celebrated the genuine art of couture. In the setting of the ancient abbey, where Louis XIV chased away the Cistersian monks, the show seemed an almost religious homage to the petites mains or little hands who had worked to produce this gossamer-light fairy tale.
But this was also a triumph for its author. It was Lagerfeld's hand that had drawn the crisp, elongated silhouette, with both neckline and hips ringed with a deep fur cuff or a broad belt, fantastically but discreetly embellished. It was his eye that had pulled together the different elements of history and modernity, linking them with the thigh-high boots that were worn equally with the long, linear evening dresses as with daytime skirts and jackets. Sleeves had dashing courtier cuffs that tweaked the classic Chanel suit.
Looking up at the mullioned windows of the 17th century building, it was impossible not to see their graphic diamond patterns echoed in scaly layers of armor-gray organza, in the pebble dash of minuscule pearls and in the noncolors: predominantly black and white, with lead gray and occasionally pheasant-speckled brown.
"I started with the building - from a period they call 'La Grande Epoque' - and I hope this could be another one," said Lagerfeld as the front-row celebrities Kylie Minogue, Lou Doillon and the guest model Linda Evangelista evaporated to leave him the focus of attention and applause.
This was a show to define, in its imagination and workmanship, what haute couture should still aspire to in 2003. Eighteen months after the retirement of Yves Saint Laurent, Lagerfeld and Chanel's fabulous ateliers have taken over the role of setting fashion's record straight. By showing in the open air, every tiny stitch and tuck was visible and although these clothes were covetable and wearable, they had a magic that removed them far from even Chanel's own upscale ready-to-wear. Lagerfeld also captured a fashion moment when armor - with its metallic plates and intricate decoration - is fascinating designers. The way he used those influences with rigor and romance was another example of his finesse.
International Herald Tribune
